By Bisi Bamishe
The President/CEO, World Stage Limited (WorldStage), Mr Segun Adeleye has proposed that the Federal Government of Nigeria should issue an executive order to compel corporate organizations in the country to devote 80 percent of their ad budget to local media.
Adeleye sated this in his address during the recent WorldStage Nigeria’s Macro-economic Outlook 2026 presentation in Lagos.
In the speech, the WorldStage boss explored how nurturing the synergy between local media and corporate organizations can ensure steady flows of business and investment information.
President Bola Tinubu said recently that his government will cut tariffs on media equipment coming to the country, hoping to provide some relief for the media industry.
“But with media houses now transforming to offer online products and services, the extent to which they will benefit from such tariffs cut may be very minimal,” Adeleye said.
According to him, the only reasonable revenue source in the industry is advertising, whose window has been closing over the years.
He offered another look into the Federal Government’s “Nigeria First” policy through the lens of the media sector and the local advertisers he said make profits in Nigeria but spend the bulk of their ad dollars on foreign media to look good.
“The policy can be explored to compel local businesses to prioritize the local media. This is important because many Nigeria’s blue chips spend millions of dollars to promote their businesses in foreign media with little regards for the local players,” he said.
“The way forward, I think, should be for President Bola Tinubu to issue an Executive Order mandating local firms to commit nothing less than 80 percent of their advertising budget to local media.”
He commended sponsors of the outlook, which include the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), Zenith Bank, NLNG, CBN, NNPC Limited, Linkage Assurance, and Fidelity Bank.
“I believe if most Nigerian firms can emulate NLNG in terms of social responsibility and commitment to local media, there will be no need of seeking for an Executive Order for them to do the needful,” he said.
The outlook reflected hopes, projections, optimism for Nigeria’s economy, with caution, according to its reviewer, Lagos Commissioner for Information Gbenga Omotoso.
Adeleye said a sequel to the outlook, Q1 2026 Report, will provide actionable insights for policymakers, businesses, and investors, informing strategies for growth and development.
